Increase in infiltration attempts from Pakistan: BSF

BSF chief put the number of infiltration attempts at 62 so far this year along IB

New Delhi:

There have been "desperate" and "daring" bids from Pakistan side by terrorists to infiltrate and such attempts have seen a considerable jump this year, BSF chief D K Pathak said on Friday.

Talking to reporters ahead of BSF's 50th raising day, he also said there has been a "substantial increase" in cross border firing along the Western frontier which was largely aimed at pushing the terrorists inside the country.

The BSF chief put the number of infiltration attempts at 62 so far this year along the international border, which stretches from Akhnoor in Jammu region to Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. The figures for last year stood at 48.

Though Pathak claimed that the number of successful infiltration attempts stood at zero, BSF has had embarrassing moments during this year when suicide squads of terror groups managed to enter Kathua region in Jammu as well as Gurdaspur in Punjab and killed civilians and policemen.

On March 20, two terrorists entered through Kathua border and stormed into a police station killing three policemen and two civilians. This was followed the next day by an abortive attempt by another two militants to storm an army camp.

On July 27, Punjab witnessed a terror attack after eight years when three terrorists entered through Gurudaspur area and stormed into a police station killing four policemen including a Superintendent of Police and three civilians.

Pathak, heading a 2.5 lakh personnel strong force, expressed "concern" over the reports of collaboration between terror group ISIS and certain other military organisations but maintained that his men were taking all possible steps to thwart their nefarious design.

"We find desperation on their part as they are making very daring bids to cross over but somehow they have not been successful," he said.